At a time when expenses for summer care, family travel and fall programs are pressing, families in Saskatoon and across Canada received their retroactive cheques under the expanded UCCB program.
“Supporting child care choices” is how the income supplement program is described and promoted by the federal government.
In reality, only a fraction of monthly child care costs will be covered. It is estimated that more than half of UCCB payments will go to families without child care expenses of any kind. And the program does not address creation of child care spaces.
Currently, regulated child care is only available for one in five children in Canada.
Child care is the second highest household expense for many families.
Mothers are often disproportionately impacted.
Parents need help in the form of affordable quality child care spaces.
Vote Child Care 2015 is an initiative of the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC), a non-partisan, non-profit organization that works to promote a universal, publicly-funded, sustainable child care system.
Source: Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada